1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to safety devices for water skiers and more particularly, to a water skier safety flag and audible alarm which is designed to deploy a flag and sound an alarm when the water skier releases the tow rope handle while skiing. In a first preferred embodiment, the flag is pivotally attached to a deploying mechanism which incorporates a solenoid to maintain the flag in folded configuration while the skier is holding the tow rope handle and deploy the flag upwardly when the skier releases the tow rope handle, either by falling or at the end of a ride. In a second preferred embodiment, the flag is attached to the end of a telescoping antenna and is normally telescoped inside an antenna housing when the skier is gripping the tow rope handle. The flag is extended telescopically from the antenna housing when the tow rope handle is released by the skier. In both embodiments of the invention an audible alarm may be utilized as desired, and the handle is equipped with a pressure-sensitive switch to operate the flag deploying mechanisms.
One of the problems which exists in water skiing and particularly, while water skiing in congested lakes and other waterways, is that of making the driver of the towing boat, as well as the drivers of other boats in the area, aware that the water skier has fallen. In many instances, the boat driver and the water skier are the only two participants and since the boat driver normally is viewing the water ahead of the boat, he is usually unable to simultaneously view the skier behind the boat. Although most states have enacted legislation to require at least one observer riding in the boat with the driver, this law is rarely followed and under circumstances where there is no such observer, a fallen water skier is at risk, in that he can be struck by another boat or skier in the area. In many cases, the water skier falls and the boat driver is unaware of the event for a considerable period of time, which leaves the skier in the waterway for several minutes before the driver discovers that he is no longer skiing and is able to make a turn to retrieve the fallen skier.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of safety devices are known in the art for warning the drivers of boats that a skier is in the water. U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,188, dated Aug. 31, 1971, to Daniel M. Penaflor, details a flag system for ski boats which is automatically operated by a release of the tow line tension to raise a flag for warning other boats as to a downed skier. A spring-loaded flag standard is retracted by tension on a tow line for water skiers and upon tension release, automatically raises the warning flag. A normally closed switch in the system operates a warning light which is visible to a boat operator upon release of the tow line by a skier. U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,724, dated May 29, 1973, to Nathan W. Miller, details a "Water Skier Safety Alarm". In this device, a safety alarm flag is mounted to a ski tow boat such that, when a skier towed by a boat has fallen, the flag is automatically raised and is visible by operators of other boats in the vicinity and also by the operator of the boat that had been towing the downed skier. A flag-carrying arm is pivotally mounted to the ski tow board and is spring-urged to an upright alarm position. A tension line is connected to the flag arm above its pivot and is guided downwardly and rearwardly along the boat rail, for connection to the skier tow line. Fluid damping is provided for control of the raising motion of the flag-carrying arm. A "Signal Device for Water Skiing" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,778, dated Jan. 22, 1974. The device includes a pivotal flag or signal device for water skiing which is designed to warn other boats when a skier is down in the water. An over-centered spring mechanism is designed to securely position the signal device in either an operative upright position or a horizontal storage position. The signal device is mounted on an extendible shaft for varying the height of the signal device and to insure compact storage in an inoperative position. U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,450, dated Mar. 19, 1974, to Lloyd E. Frisbee, details an "Emergency Signal Flag". The device includes a signal flag apparatus which has an elongated tube storing a shaft, with a flag secured along one end thereof. The tube houses a resilient member designed to forcibly urge the shaft and flag out of the tube in a fully deployed condition. A push- button device holds the shaft and flag in a storage position within the tube and upon actuation, permits the resilient member to project the shaft and flag out of the tube. A pull cord is attached to the end of the shaft, which when pulled, causes the shaft and flag to be withdrawn into the tube for storage and reset purposes. A bracket pivotally mounts the tube on an appropriate portion of a vehicle such as a boat. A "Boat Flag Holder" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,340, dated Mar. 2, 1976, to Leon B. Rankins. The holder is designed to receive the shaft or pole of a signal device used in boats to indicate that an occupant of the craft or water skier being towed by the craft is in the water. The holder includes a pair of relatively rotatable disc-like members, the first of which is attached to the boat and the other being rotatably secured thereto. The second member receives a flag pole or shaft and as the member rotates, the shaft is moved between a vertical operative position and a horizontal inoperative position. Automatic stop means control the rotation, so as to readily position the shaft in the two positions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,856, dated Jul. 19, 1977, to Gary R. Oberg, details a "Water Ski Safety Flag". The water ski safety flag is characterized by a visual marker for attachment to the flotation gear of a water skier to enable the skier to be more readily detected when down in the water. The marker includes a staff having a flag member secured to the upper end thereof and attachment means are secured to the lower end of the staff, to permit releasible attachment of the staff and flag member to the flotation gear of the water skier. Attachment means includes a resilient belt or strap member which is coupled at its upper end to the staff and at its lower end to the staff-securing buckle or plate, the attachment being such that the belt and the staff form a closed loop for the attachment of the safety flag to the flotation gear of the skier. A "Warning Flag for Vehicles" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,468, dated May 23, 1978, to Gary L. D'Spain. The warning flag is characterized by a pivotally-mounted, spring-loaded arm which is normally folded against the bias in the spring and is deployed in a substantially vertical configuration on a boat or vehicle pursuant to operation of the spring when in functional configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,796, dated Oct. 31, 1978, to Kurt T. Pressler, details an "Adjustable Pennant Warning of Downed Water Skiers". The device is characterized by a hand-powered top action assembly which is permanently mounted to a stationary portion of a boat, to support a warning pennant attached to the mast of the assembly and allow the pennant to be relocated as required, to satisfy U.S. Coast Guard safety regulations. U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,476, dated Oct. 9, 1984, to Thomas L. Howard, includes a "Signal Staff For a Person in the Water". The device indicates by day or by night, the location of a person adrift on the surface of a body of water and includes a vividly colored, inflatable tube made of a thin, flexible material provided with a one-way valve for inflation by mouth. The device further includes a miniature electric lamp coupled to a water-activated battery and the tube is permanently attached to a life jacket or other garment that has a flag secured to its free end. The tube, flag or both, may contain a metallic pigment or may be covered with a layer of such material, to render it radar detectable. A "Flag Raising Device for Water Skiing" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,320, dated Oct. 8, 1985, to Brett Lewis. The device includes a pivot member, in which a flag pole is mounted, and which is spring-biased toward a position in which the flag pole is vertical. A retaining device normally holds the pivot member in a position in which the flag pole is lowered. When the skier falls, the retaining device is released either manually or automatically, to allow the pivot member to move under the spring-bias and raise the flag pole. U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,264, dated Jun. 21, 1988, to Melendez, et al, details a "Warning Flag for Skiers". The device includes a flexible mast attached to the skier's life jacket at the appropriate center of the jacket's rear portion. The flexible mast extends upwardly from the life jacket for a substantial distance beyond the highest point of the skier's head and terminates in a highly visible warning flag at its upper end.
It is an object of this invention to provide a water skier safety alarm which is characterized by a flag-deploying mechanism mounted on a boat and a switch mounted on the tow rope handle of a tow rope, in order to facilitate operation of the flag-deploying mechanism to raise a flag responsive to operation of the switch on the tow rope handle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved water skier safety alarm which is characterized by a flag-deployment device mounted on a boat, with a flag staff pivotally secured to the flag deployment device, a pressure switch located on the handle of a tow rope and wiring connecting the pressure switch to the flag-deployment device, wherein the flag is normally deployed in retracted configuration when the skier is gripping the tow rope handle and is pivoted upwardly in a substantially vertical, easily visible configuration when the skier releases the tow rope handle.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved water skier safety alarm which is characterized by a flag mounted to a telescoping antenna and normally telescoped into the antenna housing, a pressure-sensitive switch attached to the handle of a tow rope and wiring connecting the switch to the telescoping antenna, wherein the flag is normally deployed in the antenna housing when a skier is gripping the tow rope handle and the switch is closed, and the flag is telescopically extended from the housing when the skier drops the handle and the switch is open.